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Atlas (Colony)
Atlas is an independent colony on the Garden World of the same name. Originally established in 2235 by the UOE as Isis, Atlas was eventually granted independence in 2334 following a long-running popular movement. Since gaining independence the colony has developed a reputation as the most cosmopolitan settlement in known space. It is said that if a person were to sit long enough in a café in the colony's capital, Memphis, they would hear people speaking in every known language. Founding Independence Interestingly there is a small but growing number of people who support the idea of Atlas reverting its name to Isis. Their main argument is that people off-world (especially from Earth) often confuse the colony with the planet as a whole whilst the old name is still a recognised "brand". Others have suggested adopting a new name entirely. Economy Atlas is a trading colony, its main sources of revenue is interstellar shipping. As well as been the home planet for scores of shipping lines, both large and small, Atlas is the location of offices of almost every major haulage and passenger company known. Another service industry which thrives on Atlas is banking with the colony acting as a major tax haven for companies operating in the Old Reaches. Agriculture Atlas is self-sufficient in food with most of the cultivated species been imports such as Bodmin Ryegrass from Gaia and Cornapples from Ciamverde. Fishing in the Thebes Sea also generates income. Manufacturing and Industry Atlas has a reputation as a nation of gadget producers. Memphis and the other larger towns play host to scores of factories producing small electrical goods such as data slates, VR consoles, and kitchen appliances. Cheap, mass-produced products are shipped across the Old Reaches and into the Home Systems. Atlas is also a leader in producing life support equipment. Air filters, water recyling equipment, fire fighting systems, all are produced to the highest quality on Atlas and in many cases freetraders and smaller companies will often strip out the factory supplies systems from newly purchased ships and replace them with examples built on Atlas. The other major manufacturing sector is colonial support equipment. Atlasian are well aware of the hardships of building a colony, especially in unforgiving environments. As a result they have dedicated a large part of their industrial base to the building of cheap but effective "low-tech" equipment neccessary for starting a new settlement. Items such as solar panels, water filters, moisture traps, and temporary shelters are produced in many factories across the colony. Colonial Data Much of Atlas remains untouched wilderness, most of the colonists live in a narrow strip along the coast of the Thebes Sea. Outside of Memphis the settlements are mostly small townships dedicated to supporting whatever industry dominates the local area be it agriculture or mining. The largest geographical feature in the colony is the Menthu Mountain range located around 100km from Memphis. The Menthu range has a dozen peaks above 7'000m and another twenty between 4'000 and 6'000m. This range is the source of several rivers, the valleys of which are home to numerous smallholdings and farming settlements. The foothills of the Menthu's are also the location of several mines extracting iron, nickel, and phosphates. Military Space Fleet (Spaco Floto) As a nation heavily dependent on trade Atlas has invested in a large fleet of small warships to protect shipping in and around the system. The backbone of the fleet are eighteen Ponardo (Dagger) class corvettes, modified, armed versions of the Sendependa-class freighter. Each carries six star-fire light anti-shipping missiles and a pair of lightweight laser cannon. Serving alongside the Ponardos are eight locally designed Serĉanto (Seeker) class missile boats. In 2303 the Military Command Council announced that it was in negotations with Khemed to purchase between four and six Badr-class patrol ships. The fleets fighter force consists of three squadrons of second-hand FT-17D Shrikes purchased from US and Commonwealth stockpiles. The Council hopes to replace these in the near future, possible replacements include the FAT-23A Wildcat III and the Tgr-3 Puma Strike Fighter. National Guard (Nacia Gvardio) Atlas does not have a standing army. Planetary defence instead rests with the paramilitary National Guard (Nacio Gvardio). The Guard consists of eight battalions worth of light infantry who's role would be to deploy in to the countryside and operate as commandos against any invading force. San Sebastian Space Port Atlas is the location for the largest commercial spaceport anywhere outside of Earth - the San Sebastian Interplanetary Port. Covering an area of over 50km² the San Sebastian port has four large runways each over 3'500m long plus a fourth 2'350m long along with ten large and fourteen small VTOL landing pads. Eighteen major companies have facilities at San Sebastian alongside around three dozen smaller companies and free traders. On average the port handles thirty four spaceplane and twenty two VTOL landings every hour during daylight hours and only slightly fewer at night. Plans are underway to expand the port, adding a total of six new VTOL pads, extending the "short" runway to 3'100m and building around a dozen new hanger complexes and warehouses. Ethnic Composition The bulk of the citizens of Atlas still come from the UOE. Subsequent waves of colonists have also come from the Asian Co-Prosperity League, the Free States of South America, India and South Africa. There is also a small but growing minority of Greeks who emigrated to Atlas in the early 2340's following the establishment of Byzantium. Category:Independent Colonies Category:Colonies Category:The Old Reach